


Golden Gate Bridge

by jedjubeed



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: BTW, M/M, Suicide Attempt, Suicide mention, also they live in san francisco fuck off, but hey, humantale, i dont mention names, i'm sure you can figure it out, if not, not in the first chapter, red is sans, sans is the one who tried to jump, slow burn honeymustard, theyre humans
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-31
Updated: 2017-01-21
Packaged: 2018-05-30 10:17:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6419830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jedjubeed/pseuds/jedjubeed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sans is walking home from his job after a pretty average day, and he crosses the Golden Gate bridge like any other day. What happened - and didn't happen - would change the rest of his life. Not like Sans cared, at least.</p><p> </p><p>(on hiatus)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Why?

_Be back before it gets dark,_ his brother told him.

He sighed as he buried his hands a bit further into his pockets against the wind. He looked down at his feet, as the pavement of the sidewalk met the seam of the walkway onto the looming bridge. Business as usual.

He raised his head to look over the side of the railing, into the dark water below.

He found himself starting to edge closer to the railing, as he walked. He slowly brought his hands out of his pockets as he came to a stop to rest on the railing, noting a few passers-by giving him weird looks, but he didn't pay attention long enough to care. 

 _Be back before it gets dark,_ the voice r everberated through his head.

"Yeah, right." He scoffed quietly, his gaze lifting to follow the horizon. With a soft sigh, he leaned against the railing, rubbing the pad of his thumb thoughtfully over the red paint. 

"He wouldn't miss me much, heh." His distorted chuckle faded with sadness.

He tapped his fingers against the railing for a moment, before he nodded to himself in assurance. He lifted his now trembling hands from the rail, looking down as he ran his fingers against the hem of his jacket sleeves.

He braced his hands again to the rail, uttering a soft grunt as he hoisted himself up, one knee to the rail, his opposite foot joining. Letting out a soft breath as he stood, the knee being replaced with his foot. There was nothing for him to hold, so he just stood there, arms hanging uselessly by his sides. 

One last glance to the dark water below, and his attention flitted back up to the yellowing horizon. It was getting late. He gave a trembling smile and a sigh. 

_Be back before it gets dark._ Dark for who? Dark for both of us? Or dark for one of us? 

He let out a breathy chuckle at that, before he closed his eyes.  _For good... hopefully._ At that, he started leaning forward, feeling the arches of his feet disconnect from the rail. The funny thing was, his mind was entirely blank. Almost, content. Safe. It must have been only a millisecond he was completely falling, before he felt a jerk, and a pair of thin arms wrapped around him, fumbling to keep him within reach. 

He could hear a whiz of a car by the road, but he still refused to open his eyes.

He could feel himself getting pulled up and over the railing, but he refused to open his eyes.

He finally came to his senses as he was mostly over the railing, trying to hook his heels into the grate of the railing. The person pulling him back was obviously having none of that, before he was able to associate this person with a masculine voice.

"Hey, man. It's cool. It's okay. Calm down. You're gonna be fine."

He struggled against this man's grip, just hardly finding the energy to respond. 

"What if I don't- want to be okay?" 

Still, he turned once he'd gotten his feet under him, burying himself into the hug this male was pulling him into. His throat felt tight, and his eyes stung with tears that threatened to well up.

"What if..." His voice cracked, his speech trailing off as it was replaced with weak sobs. He felt a hand rub the back of his jacket, moving up and down in a nostalgic gesture. The male spoke up again, his voice softer than before.

"You're okay. It's okay. You're fine now." 

He took in a shuddering breath, his sobs drying out slightly as the wind ruffled both males' hair.

"I don't..." He hesitantly moved his arms to return the hug. "I don't. I- I need to. I need to. Let go, let go, let go... let..."

The hug was never loosened, or abandoned, a stranger being his only lifeline at the moment. 

"You shouldn't ever have to resort to this." He heard the voice from above him, but he never looked up. "I don't know you at all, but I can tell you one thing. Life will get better, always."

He shook his head at the other's words, sniffing. 

"There- there's nothing else I c-can do..." He hiccuped in a new sob, pulling away enough to lift his arm to wipe his eyes. "I just- I want it t-to end, please..." His voice cracked as he pleaded, and he finally looked up to the other.

He was nothing special, but he looked welcoming. Like he was one of those people you could trust at a first glance. 

He finally took a moment to notice the strong smell of cigarette smoke.

"I don't know what you're going through... but there has to be someone that can help you, even if it's just me." He seemed to trust the shorter male in not trying to jump off the bridge again, and released him from the hug. Instead, he extended a hand. "I'm Papyrus." 

He looked down to Papyrus' hand, before taking it to shake.

"I'm Red."

His voice was still rough from crying, but he honestly felt a lot better. Papyrus seemed happy that his greeting was accepted and returned. Red dropped his hand, returning it to his pocket. Papyrus seemed to mirror that, though his hands escaped to the single pocket of his pullover.

"If you're alright with me asking, why did you try?"

He had anticipated this question from the moment he was pulled over that railing, and he supposed he should answer.

"It felt like the only way out, ya know? Heh. I don't have any friends, or anyone to actually... talk to about all this." Papyrus seemed to consider this for a moment, nodding thoughtfully.

It might not have seemed like much, but Papyrus then did something that Red would not forget for a very long time.

Papyrus calmly pulled out a pad of paper and a pen, scribbling out a string of numbers, before he tore off the page. He folded it in half once, before handing it to the shorter male.

"If you ever need to talk, about anything at all, feel free. I will do my absolute best to make sure you stay safe."

Red reached out and took the paper, glancing at it for a hesitated moment before he slid it into his pocket. He then looked up to the other male.

"Uh, thanks, heh. It really, uh. Means a lot to me that someone who's almost a complete stranger is willing to... do so much for me." He smiled a bit as he said this.

"Like I said. No one should have to resort to taking their own life."

Red sighed and looked away, shrugging as he reached up to scratch at his hairline.

"I should uh, probably get going home. The world is real damn lucky to have people like you." Papyrus nodded in gratitude at that.

"Which way were you heading? I've got some time to kill, so if we're heading in the same direction, I'll walk with you."

"I'd call you out on that, but after this, I'm not sure I trust myself not to walk into traffic or something stupid." He laughed softly. "And uh, actually, i was heading..." He pointed down the far direction of the bridge. 

Papyrus nodded, before he shrugged.

"Well, how lucky, I was going in the same direction." Red nodded at this, rubbing a bit at his eyes again with his sleeves. 

Papyrus started to lead the way down the sidewalk, his strides wider with his longer legs, Red managing to keep up with his pace. 

With one look over the bridge at the horizon, Red sighed.

If he jumped just a few seconds before, he would have made it.

And he would have hit the water.

And he would have died.

Every single shred of his being regretted not jumping sooner.

He knew that could change, but for right now, he hated himself for not jumping sooner.


	2. In a Circle, We Tell Stories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> god
> 
>  
> 
> damn  
> this thing had more stats in a DAY. than my 4 chapter fic that's been up for A MONTH.  
> i love you guys

The walk back to his apartment was absolutely wonderful. The two traded jokes, smoked, talked. It was as if the previous events had never happened, and they were simply old friends catching up with each other. Red almost lost track of everything other than Papyrus, until they reached his apartment. For lack of a better word, he lived in the trashy part of San Francisco. You know, the place where 80% of the cities' crime rate comes from? Very fitting. That's what Papyrus thought, at least, as he looked around the area. He wasn't sure it was very… safe. To walk through, let alone live in, but. Hey. He wasn't one to judge people based on how they lived.

As soon as they walked up to the building, Red seemed to just fume with.. was it fear? Anxiety? Paranoia? Papyrus always thought that people living here would be more cautious approaching the area, rather than scared.

The smaller male sighed as he glanced up to the sky - well after dark. Shit. He sighed as he put a hand aside from the door hinge, looking up to the other. 

"Look, dude. This is where I live, and I'm not sure it's a good idea for you to come in with me." He let out a chuckle, but it wasn't a convincing coverup for his fear. Papyrus crossed his arms over his chest, flitting the cigarette around in his mouth as he watched the other.

"Well, it's obviously not safe, but I managed to get this far without a knife in my back." Red grimaced, massaging the bridge of his nose. 

"Okay. Yeah, that's true. You mentioned a brother, right? Go home to him. I'd hate to have him see you beat half to death."

Papyrus raised a brow, but ceased all questioning as he shrugged. He patted the smaller male on the back and turned to walk away. Probably the best thing he could do right now.

"Later, Red." He called, as he walked off.

Once he was outside earshot, Red uttered a soft groan, before turning to open the doors to the apartment complex. He ran a hand over his face as he bowed his head, veering a right towards the staircase, seeing as the elevator was broken, and had been for a very long time. 

As soon as he reached the top, he looked down the hallway. And saw his brother striding down towards him. He wasn't even sure if it was okay to call this man his brother any more, seeing as the other probably didn't consider them to be related any more. Red probably screamed a little bit as the larger grabbed the hood of his jacket, and he could hear the snapping of thread to the seams as he was lifted up to face the other. 

"Where the fuck have you been, Sans?" He flinched slightly at the use of his given name, and he stuttered as he looked away.

"U-uh, I uh, g-got caught… caught up in…. something. Along th-the way…" He trailed off silently, as he looked down. "Sorry, Boss."

"I am very sure you got caught up in something! Who was that asshole you were with?"

"Wh- uh, just a… just a friend of m-mine." The stuttering seemed to ease up, he thought with a bit more solace. 

"A friend, huh? Make sure I never fucking see their face again." He then threw the smaller to the ground, turning.

"B-boss, if-…. If he hadn't, uh, been there…" He stopped, bracing himself for whatever was going to come as he said this. "I would… I would be dead." His voice cracked at the last phrase, and he winced away, putting his hands over the back of his neck.

His boss seemed intrigued by this. He raised a brow and turned, a small smirk on his face as he stepped over to loom over the other. 

"Oh? Please do go into detail. _We have all night."_

Red lifted a trembling hand to look at the other, before pushing himself up to kneel, and then pushing himself to stagger to his feet, still badly shaken. He was obviously terrified as he went on to speak again.

"I- would have… jum-jumped off the bridge." That was the last thing he could get out, before he felt a sharp, pressuring crack to the side of his face. He could see the world roll in a blur, before he could associate these pressures with lying on the floor.

_How did I get down here….?_

He let out a soft moan in pain as his cheek began to sting horribly, and he lifted a hand to brush over the red skin. 

At the next impact, he compulsively curled up around his stomach as a small, breathy grunt escaped him. The voice above him was fuzzy, but he could hear it just well.

"Why do I have to be the one that carries the burden of your pathetic ass? You're so fucking _weak._ " He emphasized the last word to a kick to the chest, and Red could hear - and feel - a crack in one of his ribs, and a burst of pain as he curled up tighter. 

His boss turned away from him with a scowl, before walking back to their apartment. It only had one bedroom, so, naturally, Red slept on the couch.

Red vaguely remembered Papyrus telling him that if anything happened, he was suggested to call. He didn't particularly want to be a bother, however, so he left his phone in his pocket. Years ago, when this all happened, he might have struggled toward his phone to call someone, but he quickly learned against that.

He sighed softly against the pain in his chest, and he tried his best not to move too much on his injuries lest he worsen the break. 


	3. Driving Home From Sirens

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter will get less confusing as you read on.
> 
> also its really short bc i JUST WANTED TO GET SOMETHING OUT.

_He must have fallen asleep._ He must have passed out.  _He must have been carried to bed._ He must have been thrown on the couch.  _He should get up and talk to his brother._ He should get up and apologize to his brother.

_"Hey, you're finally up!"_

"Finally decided to wake up."

_"Sorry about last night."_

"Sorry about last night."

_"It's okay!"_

"Get the hell up and go to work. Get back on time today."

_He decided to check his phone for a message from this Red character. Maybe he actually went through with it when he got home._

He shifted and stood up, ignoring the shooting pain in his ribcage. Maybe he should text this guy. Yeah. He grabbed his things and walked out, deciding to take the elevator. While he was waiting, he sent out a message.

 **this may seem weird, but how do i treat a broken rib?** Nice.

 _ **wait hold up whos this**_ Not nice.

**i got your number on the bridge? unless it's the wrong number.**

**_yeah i gotcha but howd you break a rib_ **

**i should leave that out for the wellbeing of both of our bodies.**

_**oooook then but yeah theres no treatment just dont get thrown around i guess?** _

Guess that was never gonna heal.

He put the phone back into his hoodie pocket, pulling out a cigarette from the seemingly bottomless pack he owned, as well as a lighter. He pulled the cigarette between his lips and held the lighter up, flicking the edge a few times before he held the flame to the tip of the cigarette before flicking the lighter closed with a metallic _clack._ He took a couple puffs from the cigarette, before blowing it out in a hazed plume. 

Through his footsteps, he could feel his phone buzzing repeatedly. He was either being bombed by this dude, his brother, or he was being called by someone.

He decided that if this was his boss, he wasn't gonna test his patience.  He pulled the phone out.

Yep.

Phonecall.

He answered it and held it to his ear, raising a brow.

"Here I am. What's up?"

"You talk about a broken rib, get cagey, and drop the conversation." Red took a casual draw of his cigarette.

"And?"

"And? That hints towards something pretty bad."

"Ok, sheesh, didn't mean to ruffle your feathers."

"Hey, I'm a worrier. Might wanna get used to that if we're gonna be friends."

"Guess you should get used to my cagey stuff if we're gonna be friends, then." Red replied, taking another drag. By the sound of it, Papyrus was also smoking.

"Wouldn't have to if you'd talk to me."

"I'm talking to ya right now, aren't I?"

"You know what I mean, kid."

"Who the hell are you calling kid?"

"You're like, nineteen, right?"

"Right, right. Rag on the short guy. Try thirty seven for size." Papyrus coughed.

"Holy shit I'm only twenty two."

"Hehehehe. Anyway, I gotta go to work. See ya around, _kid."_  

Papyrus bid a goodbye before he hung up, Red's mood considerably lifted by the phone call. He pocketed his phone and dropped the cigarette, grinding the embers out with is heel.  This day was gonna be exciting. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> postdump on my account, check it out! chapter updates and new stories.


	4. not a chapter at all.

aight yall. i've had like twelve people bitchin in the comments about me going on hiatus. if you can't handle me leaving for a little bit, i'll just delete the entire fucking fic. thanks


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